Virtual reality versus traditional methods in nursing competency development: A Rapid Review

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has required a readaptation of teaching methods. This readaptation, together with the exponential growth of technology in recent years, has brought about a possible new way of teaching nursing, using virtual reality. By analyzing this new approach, we will be able to understand whether this new methodology has advantages for being adapted to current teaching.Objective: to map the evidence on the contribution of virtual reality to the development of both clinical and instrumental skills in nursing students compared to traditional methods.Methods: A rapid review was carried out with research carried out between March 2023 and May 2023. The Business Source Complete [EBSCO], National Institutes of Health [NIH] and B-ON platforms were used to carry out the research. To assess the quality of the articles, we used the JBI guideline.Results: Six articles of quasi-experimental and systematic review typology were analyzed. The use of virtual reality allows students to develop their nursing skills in a dynamic, interactive and safe way. The results can be enhanced when combined with high-fidelity simulation.Conclusions: This Rapid Review demonstrates how Virtual Reality can be used in nursing education, understanding its benefits in terms of clinical and personal skills. However, it also recognizes the difficulties that may limit the use of Virtual Reality and the need for greater scientific evidence that is less randomized.